Social Studies: Indus Valley Civilization

Question 1

What is subcontinent?

Answer 1

A large landmass that is set apart from the rest of the continent

Question 2

What is a river system?

Answer 2

A main river and all the other rivers and streams that drain into it

Question 3

What is a monsoon?

Answer 3

Seasonal winds that bring rain to the Indian subcontinent during parts of the year

Question 4

What is a granary?

Answer 4

A special building used to hold grain

Question 5

What is a citadel?

Answer 5

A fortified area

Question 6

What is an achievement?

Answer 6

An accomplishment that requires effort or skill

Question 7

What is evidence?

Answer 7

Information used to prove something

Question 8

What countries are in South Asia?

Answer 8

India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Nepal and Bhutan

Question 9

Which 2 river valleys did India’s first civilization grow around?

Answer 9

Hindus and Saraswati.

Question 10

Why did many ancient civilizations grow around rivers?

Answer 10

Many early civilizations grew around rivers, including Sumer, Egypt, Indus Valley and China.

This is because rivers provided rich and fertile soil which is suitable for agriculture.

Food surpluses grew with agriculture, leading to growth of settlements into cities along the river.

Rivers also allowed people to travel far to trade.

Question 11

Which civilization came after the Hindus and Saraswati civilization?

Answer 11

Civilizations in the Ganges Plain became the center of Indian civilization

Question 12

Describe the climate in the Indian Subcontinent.

Answer 12

Mostly tropical, with Monsoon winds shaping life in the region.

Summer monsoons bring rain, which provide water for crops and cools the intense heat.

Question 13

What mountains separate the Indian Subcontinent from the rest of Asia?

Answer 13

Himalayas and Hindu Kush

Question 14

What innovations or technologies were used in the Indus Valley civilizations?

Answer 14

Cities were planned and well organized in a grid system with wide straight streets, protected by thick walls.

Many houses had a bathroom, toilet and trash chutes, and the city had one of the earliest sewer systems.

They had a system of weights and measurements that were similar to today’s metric system.

Their farmers built channels and ditches for irrigation, and stored crops in granaries. They may have been the first to grow cotton to make cloth.

Question 15

What was the biggest city in Indus Valley civilization?

Answer 15

Mahenjo-Daro

Question 16

True or false: Indus Valley farmers did not raise animals.

Answer 16

False.

They raised cattle, goats, sheep and chicken for food.

Question 17

What were the major goods that traders from Indus Valley trade?

Answer 17

Jewelry, cotton cloth, and teak wood.

Question 18

How did Indus Valley traders reach places as far as Mesopotamia?

Answer 18

They traveled by sea.

Question 19

What are some of the major questions that we cannot answer about the Indus Valley civilizations?

Answer 19

We don’t know what form of government existed, or much about their religion, or how to read their writings, or what caused the civilization to disappear.

Question 20

What are some possible explanations of what caused the civilization to disappear?

Answer 20

1. Disease caused by mosquitoes that grew in standing water in drains weakened the population.
2. People cut too many trees, leaving them with no wood for fuel or building materials. Lack of forests also could have caused severe floods.
3. Mismanaging their cattle might have caused over-grazing, making it difficult to grow crops.
4. Climate change and drought, causing people to move to the Ganges.